MBB: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

Viking Blue · January 11, 2008, 03:11:53 PM

Whoa, Rob....That's quite a statement. Beating a team and being a better team are not necessarily the same, you know. Are you sure you want to stick by that statement, because you might have to eat some crow a little later....

Pat Coleman · January 11, 2008, 03:12:45 PM

Quote from: Viking Blue on January 11, 2008, 03:11:53 PM
Beating a team and being a better team are not necessarily the same, you know.

This is why a national ranking can't always follow all of the head-to-head results.

robberki · January 11, 2008, 03:16:17 PM

Yeah pretty crazy, I knew I'd get some response on that one. What I saw from North Park this week was a very athletic team that has go to players and leadership. I didn't see that from Augie. When they needed 2 points who are they going to? I saw a bunch of guys chucking up shots from 3 feet behind the arc and no one rebounding....

Titan Q · January 11, 2008, 03:36:44 PM

Quote from: robberki on January 11, 2008, 03:16:17 PM
Yeah pretty crazy, I knew I'd get some response on that one. What I saw from North Park this week was a very athletic team that has go to players and leadership. I didn't see that from Augie. When they needed 2 points who are they going to? I saw a bunch of guys chucking up shots from 3 feet behind the arc and no one rebounding....

Augustana had a tough shooting night on the road. It happens.

North Park lost to MSOE, Loras, and Robert Morris-Springfield (by 17)...and just a few days before the big Augie win played a barnburner vs Knox. All accounts seem to suggest that NPU has very little inside presence, so they have plenty of issues too.

I'm sure NPU is good. I'm not, however, ready to pass the torch from Augustana to North Park based on one head-to-head game. Coach G and co. have been awfully good in the CCIW for a number of years now...NPU still has a lot of proving to do.

It's real early.

Sakman 1111 · January 11, 2008, 03:45:43 PM

Hard to say how Elmhurst will do because of an unchallenging preseason schedule but I do think they are getting better and by that I mean their guard play. Hard to appraise until they face some real defensive pressure. No matter what, Ruchs and Burks are improved and it would be good to see Ruchs shoot even more. They need 10 to 15 points from the rotating 4 man also in my opinion which they have been getting. If the guard play keeps getting better and they stay away from injuries the Bluejays will be tough to beat......As for Bluejay football don't know much about it (we are Whitewater football people and Bluejay basketball people) so can't comment on the lack of football postings.....

David Collinge · January 11, 2008, 04:32:23 PM

Quote from: Sakman 1111 on January 11, 2008, 03:45:43 PM
Hard to say how Elmhurst will do because of an unchallenging preseason schedule [...]

Awfully unsporting to do this when Greg is having connectivity issues.

David Collinge · January 11, 2008, 04:54:04 PM

I'm not sure if anyone has made note of this yet, but Lori Kerans is stepping down from her AD duties at Millikin as of June 30. She will remain at the helm of the women's hoops program, and a full-time AD will be hired. See Notables. I recall that her perceived performance as the AD has come in for some criticism in here before, so this news may please some folks.

Titan Q · January 11, 2008, 05:04:47 PM

Unfortunately it sounds like Andrew Gilmore is done for the season...

http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/01/11/usports/doc478716848e736771542129.txt

Andrew had a good sophomore year, despite playing through all of that pain in both knees. He averaged 11.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg, and 3.2 apg. He was 36-85 (.424) from 3. Not far off of Jordan Delp's numbers last year. Having a healthy Gilmore would have really helped the Titans this year but he just hasn't been able to come back from the knee surgeries.

As it has played out, it has provided an opportunity for freshman Sean Johnson at the 2.

robberki · January 11, 2008, 05:43:07 PM

Quote from: Titan Q on January 11, 2008, 03:36:44 PM
Quote from: robberki on January 11, 2008, 03:16:17 PM
Yeah pretty crazy, I knew I'd get some response on that one. What I saw from North Park this week was a very athletic team that has go to players and leadership. I didn't see that from Augie. When they needed 2 points who are they going to? I saw a bunch of guys chucking up shots from 3 feet behind the arc and no one rebounding....
Augustana had a tough shooting night on the road. It happens.

North Park lost to MSOE, Loras, and Robert Morris-Springfield (by 17)...and just a few days before the big Augie win played a barnburner vs Knox. All accounts seem to suggest that NPU has very little inside presence, so they have plenty of issues too.

I'm sure NPU is good. I'm not, however, ready to pass the torch from Augustana to North Park based on one head-to-head game. Coach G and co. have been awfully good in the CCIW for a number of years now...NPU still has a lot of proving to do.

It's real early.

yeah it is, we shall see I suppose....could be wrong and NPU could go lay an egg this weekend....but we'll see.

Viking Blue · January 11, 2008, 05:47:10 PM

Side note-Can someone please explain to me what this karma stuff is?

David Collinge · January 11, 2008, 05:51:03 PM

Quote from: Viking Blue on January 11, 2008, 05:47:10 PM
Side note-Can someone please explain to me what this karma stuff is?

Message board FAQ

NPC-Alum · January 12, 2008, 08:40:27 AM

Rob - while I love the idea of NP being a better team than Augie, I don't think we can claim that. It is certainly true that North Park can shoot better than the 23-59 they put up on Wednesday, but I'm not sure it's ever gong to be all that likely against the Augustana defense. Other than that, North Park played about as well as they can play and I'm sure Augie would tell you they did not.

Taking nothing away from a great win, but let's see how the city Vikings bounce back tonight on the raod before worrying about anything else.

Titan Q · January 12, 2008, 09:39:04 AM

The Pantagraph's article on the IWU/Carthage game...

IWU gets set to play CCIW's top freshman

Titan Q · January 12, 2008, 09:59:53 AM

Some intriguing matchups in the IWU/Carthage game...

http://www.iwuhoops.com/notes08.htm

Both teams have matchup problems. I'm not sure how Carthage will be able to guard both IWU posts in the game (between Gant/Chamernik/Sexauer). The Red Men basically start four guards, with 6-4 Billy Shemerdiak the biggest. I can't see him being able to handle the post that 6-7 Neb Franciskovic isn't on.

On the other side, I have no idea how the Titans will stop Steve Djurickovic. 6-3/195 Jordan Morris did a fantastic job on Wash U's Tyler Nading, who plays a little like 6-3/170 Djurickovic, but is 6-7/210. Nading isn't nearly as quick though. If Morris and 6-4 freshman Matt Schick, IWU's back-up 3, get the assignment tonight, they'll really have their work cut out for them.

Seems like both sides might try a little zone, but I know down deep neither head coach likes playing zone. Will be interesting to see the X's and O's play out.

Titan Q · January 12, 2008, 10:19:38 AM

Steve Djurickovic is 88-112 (.786) from the FT line through 11 games. Those free throw attempt numbers are absolutely amazing for a freshman. Consider the senior year FTA numbers for these former great CCIW players who got to the line a bunch:

Drew Carstens (Augustana '04): 127-156 (.814) - 25 games
Korey Coon (IWU '00): 157-163 (.963) - 25 games
Bryan Crabtree (IWU '97): 209-248 (.843) - 30 games

As seniors, Carstens averaged 6.2 FTA per game...Coon 6.5...Crabtree 8.3. As a freshman, Djurickovic is averaging 10.2. That is really something.